PIERRE, SD — The South Dakota Transportation Commission awarded 28 Preservation, Rehabilitation and Replacement Bridge Improvement Grants (BIG) totaling approximately $13.93 million at their recent meeting in Pierre.  

Grant recipients are: Aurora County, Beadle County (3), Brookings County, Clark County, Day County, City of Deadwood, Deuel County (2), Fall River County, City of Garretson, Hughes County, Jackson County, Lake County, Lawrence County (2), Moody County, City of Rapid City, Roberts County, City of Sioux Falls (2), Sully County, Tripp County, Turner County, Union County and Yankton County (2).

Forty-two applications totaling $22.8 million were received by the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT). Five cities submitted six applications and 23 counties submitted 36 applications.

Local governments are required to pay a minimum of 20 percent matching funds and have three years to expend the grant. Counties must have a wheel tax and a five-year Highway and Bridge Improvement Plan to receive a grant.

The BIG program was created in 2015 by Senate Bill 1. SB 1 set aside $7 million per year from funds generated by license plate fees to be used to repair and replace aging local bridges. The SDDOT adds an additional $8 million annually, making $15 million available.

The next round of BIG program applications are due August 1, 2019, for the Preliminary Engineering category.